The present invention relates generally to fabrics for clothing, and more particularly to fabrics for recreational clothing in which the strength and the degree of recovery at least partially define the quality of the fabric.
Some fabrics for recreational clothing have used a double-knit stitch known as the triple knit. This stitch, usually used to knit nylon or yarns having properties similar to nylon, provides a high degree of strength for fabrics which are to be used for the production of recreational clothing such as riding pants for jockeys. The triple knit structure is knit on a conventional double-knit machine in which the dial needles are arranged radially in the slots of the needle bed and operate horizontally to make the inside of a fabric tube, and the cylinder needles are arranged parallel to one another and operate vertically to make the outside of a fabric tube. Yarns and/or threads which are to make up a particular fabric are fed to the double-knit machine in a plurality of feeds, each feed passing through the needle bed so that selected dial needles and cylinder needles perform the desired knitting function. Each needle is of a conventional type, having a hook and a loop. In a knitting path, the needle raises up so that the old loop goes below the latch of the needle. New yarn is taken into the hook and old loop closes the latch and a new stitch is formed. The number of needles in a double-knit machine varies. For instance, in some cases 1,800 needles are used for a 36 feed knitting process.
In triple knit, every third needle is knit in sequence at each of three feeds. Thus, the triple knit is a three feed repeat and three needle repeat knitting sequence. FIG. 1 shows, in schematic, six feeds being knit on six needles, it being understood that this sequence repeats through all of the feeds and needles in the knitting operation. Thus, the dial needles (even numbered) and the cylinder needles (odd-numbered) are shown for each feed. The designation "A" represents nylon yarn.
More particularly, it can be seen that the triple knit structure is obtained by the following sequence. At feed 1, the nylon yarn is knit on the dial needles at every third dial needle starting with dial needle 4, and is knit on the cylinder needles at every third cylinder needle starting with cylinder needle 1. At feed 2, the nylon yarn is knit on the dial needles at every third dial needle starting with dial needle 6, and knit on the cylinder needle at every third cylinder needle starting with cylinder needle 3. At feed 3, the nylon yarn is knit on the dial needles every third dial needle starting with needle 2, and knit on the cylinder needles at every third needle starting with needle 5. This sequence is then repeated to produce the fabric in as many feeds as is necessary, the feeds and knitting facilitating the formation of "courses" in the fabric being formed.
The knitted structure of the triple knit fabric provides a relatively small degree of stretch in any direction, though it does provide some degree of recovery or "power" (as it is sometimes called in the industry). Recovery is simply the ability of the knit structure, in conjunction with the yarns with which the fabric is knit, to regain its configuration after having been stretched. This is important to one participating in recreational activities as it enables the participant to manipulate the apparel made from a fabric having good recovery.
However, even though the triple knit structure has some degree of recovery, it is useful mostly because of the strength it imparts to fabrics made thereby. Further, in the past, this triple knit structure has been knit only with stretch nylon, which is not particularly comfortable against the skin. Thus, for a participant in a recreational activity, a piece of apparel made of nylon and knit with the triple knit structure will be quite uncomfortable, and provide less recovery than is desired for recreational clothing.
It should be noted that the triple knit structure does not lend itself to providing one type of yarn on one side of the fabric and another yarn or mix of yarns on the other side of the fabric. The result of knitting two different yarns on the triple knit would be a mix of these yarns on either side of the fabric formed thereby. This is apparent from the schematic representation of the triple knit structure in FIG. 1.
It is thus apparent that a new knit structure is warranted to provide more comfort against the skin and a higher degree of recovery, all while maintaining the strength of the fabric. The inventors herein have established such a new knit structure which is based, in part, on a modification of the triple knit structure.